At age 7, Cameron Wolf of Riverside had social and emotional issues, and his mom, Shari Young, said no treatment was working.

Someone suggested a therapy dog.

Now, 11 years after such a pet joined the family, it’s fair to say Lindy, a goldendoodle, was able to do something no human could.

“That little dog gave him life,” Young says. “She grounded him.”

Today, Wolf is doing well in high school and expects to join the Marines in September. Lindy is a big reason why.

“She mellowed me out,” Wolf says.

It’s another success story for the Canine Support Teams Inc. of Temecula, a nonprofit group that provides assistance dogs to those with disabilities.

It was founded in 1989 by Carol Roquemore, who uses a wheelchair after battling polio. She’s had many service dogs and figured such animals could help others with a disability live more independently.

The group recently had a celebration in Murrieta, and a large outdoor area was teeming with 20 dogs and about 140 people, including former handlers and the people who benefit from their service.

Good vibes were the order of the day as dogs were reunited with the people who raised them. Volunteers are given puppies to nurture until they are about 18 months old, when they’re assigned to a client.

John Mize of Temecula, vice president of the board of directors, contacted me after I wrote recently about the loss of our three dogs that we had while my kids Julia and David were growing up. Mize suggested I should be a puppy raiser to ease the pain, which I declined, thinking, how could I raise a dog and then give it up?

Kim Stiak can. The Menifee accountant has had Socks since the full standard poodle was 8 weeks old. She has to turn over Socks in May, but she already is planning to raise a second dog.

She was introduced to the group when she went by a vet to pick up the cremated remains of another dog for a friend. She thought it was a great way to volunteer.

She takes Socks everywhere, even when traveling. She says the dog doesn’t smell or shed, has no allergies and is really smart.

“I’m quite smitten,” she says.

Mize says puppy raiser volunteers are the backbone of the program. He’s 80 and has had dogs his whole life, but he says he couldn’t do what the volunteers do – bond with puppies, then let them go – even for a good cause.

“Our pet is our pet,” he says. “I could not give them up.”

Leizelle Mitchell, 17, of Moreno Valley is glad her handler raised her beloved Clinton. He helps her with mobility and follows her around Vista del Lago High School, and fellow students have come to accept the dog as part of the learning environment.

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